Man's Most Dangerous Myth was first published in 1942, when Nazism
flourished, when African Americans sat at the back of the bus, and when
race was considered the determinant of people's character and
intelligence. It presented a revolutionary theory for its time; breaking
the link between genetics and culture, it argued that race is largely a
social construction and not constitutive of significant biological
differences between people. In the ensuing 55 years, as Ashley Montagu's
radical hypothesis became accepted knowledge, succeeding editions of his
book traced the changes in our conceptions of race and race relations
over the 20th century. Now, over 50 years later, Man's Most Dangerous
Myth is back in print, fully revised by the original author. Montagu is
internationally renowned for his work on race, as well as for such
influential books as The Natural Superiority of Women, Touching, and The
Elephant Man. This new edition contains Montagu's most complete
explication of his theory and a thorough updating of previous editions.
The Sixth Edition takes on the issues of the Bell Curve, IQ testing,
ethnic cleansing and other current race relations topics, as well as
contemporary restatements of topics previously addressed. A bibliography
of almost 3,000 published items on race, compiled over a lifetime of
work, is of enormous research value. Also available is an abridged
student edition containing the essence of Montagu's argument, its policy
implications, and his thoughts on contemporary race issues for use in
classrooms. Ahead of its time in 1942, Montagu's arguments still
contribute essential and salient perspectives as we face the issue of
race in the 1990s. Man's Most Dangerous Myth is the seminal work of one
of the 20th century's leading intellectuals, essential reading for all
scholars and students of race relations.
